Simulation and optimization of an innovative thermochemical water splitting cycle for the production of green hydrogen

Highly efficient and cost-effective green Hydrogen production is a crucial challenge in a future sustainable economy. The innovative Nickel–Iodine-Sulphur (NIS) thermochemical cycle is a potential candidate for this purpose. For the first time in literature, this paper provides a complete Aspen Plus V10 simulation of the closed NIS cycle. Whitin the cycle, the Bunsen reactor was simulated as a PFR with a kinetic constant k = 1.38 m3/mol·s, while the other four reactors were considered at the thermodynamic equilibrium. A simulation of the conventional IS cycle was used as a benchmark for the NIS cycle, whose process parameters were optimized through a sensitivity study. Finally, the thermal efficiency without heat recovery of both cycles was calculated through an energy balance. The simulation results shows that the NIS cycle simulation achieves the same stoichiometric hydrogen yield as the IS cycle and a 17% higher thermal efficiency than the latter.